Apple to hold separate iPhone event in China on Sept. 11

Apple has announced that it will be holding a special media event for Chinese journalists on Sept. 11, just ten hours after the company is expected to announce a next-generation iPhone lineup at its headquarters in Cupertino, Calif.

Source: Sina Tech

The notices for Apple's Chinese event went out early Wednesday morning, inviting various media outlets to attend a special event in Beijing slated to begin at 10 a.m. local time on Sept. 11, reports SinaTech.

Identically designed invitations were sent to U.S. journalists on Tuesday for a Sept. 10 announcement, at which Apple is widely expected to unveil a next-generation "iPhone 5S," as well as a lower-cost model dubbed the "iPhone 5C."

If Apple does in fact debut new iPhones at both gatherings, it will be a significant departure from the company's usual product launches, illustrating the importance of the Chinese market. That a separate Chinese event has been planned lends credence to rumors regarding a less expensive iPhone model, which will reportedly keep costs down by adopting a plastic composite shell and current generation innards.

The so-called "iPhone 5C" could be a major boon for Apple in China, as cheaper handsets have been gaining popularity in the world's largest smartphone market. While not a premium offering like the anticipated iPhone 5S, which is rumored to come in a new "champagne" color to suit a shift in Chinese color preference, the 5C is expected to carry a price competitive in the upper mid-tier sector.

Apple has lost some ground recently to more affordable handsets made by local companies like Xiaomi, though the iPhone is not yet offered by China Mobile, the world's largest cellular carrier. Currently, only two operators carry the iPhone, previous exclusive partner China Unicom and, since 2012, China Telecom.

In July, Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly visited with telecom executives, including China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua, to discuss "matter of cooperation." Weeks later, China Mobile was said to be actively negotiating a deal with Apple, though an official arrangement has yet to be announced.

It could be the translation to Chinese of what the event is all about in the Sept 10 event in San Francisco. Based on the time difference, the event in SF is in the wee hours in the morning at 1am, Sept 11 in Beijing.

Seems to me Apple must have made a deal with China Mobile or something and are going to have a special event to announce it. I wonder who from Apple will be at that event? Unless Cook is flying to China right after the event in Cupertino?

EDIT: according to 9to5Mac the US and Chinese events are only a few hours apart. So I wonder who from Apple will be speaking at that event? Also 9to5Mac speculates this event is probably to announce a China Mobile deal.

Cook would have to be there wouldn't he? If it's that big of a deal. Flights to Beijing from San Fran would take at least 12 hours. Unless he's borrowing one of Ellison's jets and leaving the US event early (former not likely, latter more likely than the former) he's not going to be there in person in China. Maybe he's going to do the China event via FaceTime

I can't see the point of him being at both, anyone interested who can speak English will have caught up on a streamed version of the US event before the China event, but it will be interesting* to see how the event will be presented, given that this has always been a major part of any keynote or press event. I suspect that we will either see Tim present over video, using Chinese slides, with a translator or possibly with a tight script and subtitles, or that he will make a pre-recorded subtitled intro, and leave it to someone native within Apple China to make the stage.